Branding • Packaging • Social • OOH • Motion Graphics

A Seltzer with a Rebellious Spirit
Blind Lemon was Deep Ellum Brewing’s answer to the hard seltzer craze, a response to the meteoric rise of White Claw. Named after Blind Lemon Jefferson, a legendary blues musician who passed through Deep Ellum in the 1920s, the brand needed to stand on its own—beyond expected blues imagery and language.

The goal was to create a voice that was friendly, mischievous, and irreverent. Playing off the brewery’s iconic “beer mouth” logo, we designed a parallel version featuring a lemon-headed character with crossed-out eyes and a wedge-like grin.

The final lockup showcases this lemon head framed by bold, energetic typography. The curved lettering mimics the squeeze of a lemon and even gives a subtle nod to the Kool-Aid Man breaking through a wall—but with a grown-up, rebellious twist.

Supporting graphics bring out Blind Lemon’s playful side through witty puns and unexpected cultural references, such as comparing the hard seltzer trend to a “lemon” car or giving a nod to Tinder’s iconic swipe-right feature.

Unlike the first wave of hard seltzers, Blind Lemon’s recipe used real lemons. We leaned into this differentiator through bold social teasers, over-the-top video content, and unconventional giveaways. BrandedFruit.com even helped us create hundreds of actual “Lemon Heads” to send to bars and influencers.

Our social strategy pushed this message with fun, irreverent posts highlighting the brand’s craft roots. A short video showcased an industrial-style montage of lemons being squeezed and smashed—an exaggerated, tongue-in-cheek take on the brewing process that embodied Blind Lemon’s playful yet rebellious attitude.

Expanding the Flavor Portfolio
Following Blind Lemon’s initial success, we expanded the lineup with new flavors while maintaining the brand’s tight visual identity. Each flavor variation retained the signature lemon head lockup, with unique, hand-drawn lettering reinforcing its craft-brewed authenticity.

To further differentiate each flavor, we introduced quirky custom illustrations, riffing off the original lemon car concept. Playful taglines like "Peach on Earth" and "Ride into the Limelight" added personality, while Blind Berry’s monstrous fruit illustration poked fun at hard seltzer’s growing takeover of the once-dominant craft beer scene.